Is This What I Deserve?
by MusicOfMadness
Summary: How hard is it to die? Not very hard according to Marie, after all those attempts she dies from a hit and run. What is she suppose to do now, she has a new identity, a new body, a new name, and a cat that is annoying as hell. Let's just say that these two don't like each other as they continue to tolerate each other's presence.


I stared into the clear water of the lake. My brown hair was untied and swayed in the wind, causing it to slap me in the face. I didn't care as I stood at the edge of the waters. My movements were lethargic as I took off my shoes and stood for who knows how long on the small pier. Finally I took a deep breath and jumped.

My green-hazel eyes stared up into the distorted sun as my clothes rustled around me through the sluggish movements of the water. Bubbles escaped around me and through my mouth. I let the air escape me, my lungs ached, but I couldn't go back up; no, I don't deserve it. I blinked then I started to frantically swim up to the surface. When I did I gasped and coughed as I half lifted myself onto the dock.

'Another attempt failed at my cowardice." I blankly stared at the trees in front of me.

* * *

I hugged my elbows as a wind chilled my clothes and in return it chilled me. Even though it was a summer day the wind help cool the air and me. A beeping from my pocket rung out and I mindlessly checked the message. Not even thinking about how the phone miraculously survived a swim.

**_From: Jasmine_**

**_Subject: OMG!_**

**_Hey Marie! :) I hope you aren't busy later. The girls were planning to get together, maybe we'll learn something juicy. ;P Anyways, I heard that that girl Sarah totally-_**

I flipped the phone closed. The sun was starting to set as I decided to make a stop at a house. I stared at the house with the chipped shutters and breathed in deeply before I rung the doorbell. In a few minutes I heard footsteps bounding heavily down a case of stairs before the door opened. A blonde girl opened the door with curiosity before her expression soured.

"What are you doing here?" She asked me. Her blue eyes eyed my wet clothes.

"I'm just here to say sorry." She glared at me before she slammed the door in my face. I sighed.

'I knew she wasn't going to listen to me.' My hand lifted, ready to find some paper and a pencil when I remembered that it wouldn't do me any good even if I had any. My eyes flickered to the phone before I typed some letters onto the screen and then left it on the doorstep. My eyes lingered on it for a few minutes before I turned and left.

* * *

By this time the sun was on the horizon. The streets were relatively empty with the exception of a few cars whizzing by once in a while and the evening joggers. I looked both ways and at the curb where cars are hard to spot and decided to cross, I didn't bother with the cross walk seeing as there was no one on the street. My eyes trained on the ground as I thought about nothing in particular. The only thing that got my attention was the sound of squealing before my body was jolted. I felt my body hit something, it got tossed and turned along the way. My eyes blinked, everything was happening so fast. I don't know what's going on. It was then that I realized that a huge puddle of blood was under me. I noticed that people were on their phones and shouting, funny how humans are attracted to tragedies, such morbid curiosity.

I finally realized what was happening, I just got hit by a car. The car in question was no where to be seen.

'Hit and run...' My eyes started to lower as I felt myself being lifted onto something. It doesn't matter anyways, I'm going to die before they can do anything. They say that people survive the most amazing things, just by their will alone; well, at least I do, but I'm sure I won't considering the fact that I have none. Soon my eyes closed and the last thing I saw was the hazy blue of the sky as the medical team lifted me up onto a gurney.

* * *

**"Child, wake up."** I didn't want to. **"Child!"** The tone in the voice made me open my eyes.

_'Did they save me?'_ My eyes were met with a black haze instead of the bleak white ceilings and bed sheets that I was expecting. A slight sigh escaped my lips.

"So, I'm dead?" I glanced around the endless black plane.

**"Yes, very much so. Have to say, that was a cruel ending. After so many attempts, you die from an accident."** The male voice chuckled in amusement. I scowled slightly.

"Yes, yes, my sad excuse of a life is such a laugh." I tensed as I inhaled and held my breath. A hand was sticking out to me and it was one of the most creepiest hands I have ever seen. Something you would see in a horror movie.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked dryly. "Hold your hand? There is no friendship in Hell." The voice spoke again.

**"For the things you have done you will not be sent to Hell. It's barely even worth a glance at most."** I warily stared at where the hand should be connected to, not that I could see it. He continued.

**"But if you are willing then I can offer you retribution for what you have done. In exchange for this you will lose something a part of you that has hurt people the most."**

I nodded. "What exactly will I be doing?" I could tell the voice was getting irritated with my questions.

**"You will have a chance to right the wrong. Protect others instead of hurting others. Just all that is needed is for you to shake my hand and I'll be there every step of the way for you."** I hesitated as I stared at the mist like hand. I reached for it before I paused above it, I gasped when it grabbed my hand tightly. The voice change into more of a hiss.

**"Do you except this contract, child?"** I nodded and tried to speak, but found I couldn't. I noticed the hand was hot, like the fires of Hell burned inside of it, or maybe that's because I'm cold; after all, I am dead.

* * *

"Chihaya?" My eyes stayed shut as I squirmed in my sheets for a moment. I struggled to open my eyes and I did to find a strange man with a spiky brown ponytail in the room with me. He smiled at me and stood by my side.

"How are you doing, Chihaya?"

_'He's talking to me?'_ I parted my lips to speak, but a exhale of air came out instead. I couldn't find my voice. His eyes softened in pity as another person walked in.

"Iruka?" He turned and I assumed that's his name.

"Yes?" A lady walked into my view, she was average looking with faded plum colored hair with brown eyes. She shook her head.

"She can't speak. Her voice box was damaged and she can only make a small range of noise." She glanced at me with sad eyes before she shook her head again.

"It's most likely that she will never be able to speak again." Iruka nodded.

"Thank you for telling me Fuyumi-san." The lady, named Fuyumi, smiled sadly.

"It's okay, you don't need to thank me. I wish I could have done more." She gave me a half smile before she left. The man sighed with a hand on his head before he turned to me.

"Do you understand what I'm saying, Chihaya?" I felt that it was slightly harder to breathe than usual as I nodded my head. He gripped my hand and gave me a serious look.

"Don't panic when I tell you this, okay?" My body rose and fell in a sigh.

_'Just get on with it already.'_ I thought to myself.

"Your parents were killed in a ninja attack on your home." I blinked, I felt empty and slightly confused. Ninja? An attack made by ninjas? My eyebrows scrunched together.

"We think that they were there to loot your home." For some reason his story lacked something, but I wasn't sure of what it was.

"Don't worry though, the hokage will give you money in compensation for your both of your parents' deaths. To make sure that you won't have to struggle for money as you grow up." I nodded. He was slightly shocked for some reason. Maybe it was because I didn't shed a single tear, that I wasn't sad at all. I was confused, I didn't know where I was. What was happening?

He nodded to me as I struggled to get up. Iruka helped me up and supported me.

"Are you well enough get up?" I tested my vocal range and hummed a response. It came out scratchy, but that's okay. I got out of bed and found that I was changed in a hospital gown. I looked up at him and found something seriously wrong.

_'Why am I so short?!'_ My eyes soon were caught on a mirror as I saw my appearance.

I had short, light brown hair that was wavy, I could tell that it would soon become more curly in the future. My skin was still a milky white color, kind of like porcelain as someone said to me before; I don't really remember who, but I'm sure someone said that to me. My eyes were more of a golden green than it was hazel and that I was seriously shorter than I used to be.

_'How old was I?'_ I looked at Iruka than glanced around a room. My eyes landed on a clipboard on the edge of the bed that had a pen attached to it by a string, it was most likely used for writing things about the patient. I grabbed it and wrote on it.

**"_How old am I?" _**He blinked at it before understanding flashed through his eyes.

"You're 5 years old." I almost dropped the clipboard and pen in surprise.

_'I'm that young? I guess that's good. I've always wanted to go back to my kid days, where things were mostly care-free.'_ I nodded to myself in thought as I glanced out the window to see a brown mountain with faces carved into it. I quickly scribbled another question down.

**"_Where are we?" _**Iruka immediately answered that we were in Konoha. A hidden village in the Fire Country. We were one of biggest villages and we produce a good amount of talented ninjas.

_'Ninjas... it reminds me of something I used to know of.'_ A flash of a memory went through my head.

_'Wasn't it that anime,. Naruto, was it?'_ I never did watch it, I never really got around to it.

"Chihaya?" I looked up to Iruka. A change of clothes was in his hands. "You should get dressed. I'll take you home." I nodded and took the clothes into the bathroom.

* * *

Once I had changed Iruka took me home and left once he made sure I was okay. Along the way he told me that I was passed out for almost a week and that I was already enrolled in the Academy. It's a school where kids learn the basics of ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu. I knew that I would have to look those up once I get back from school the next day, maybe there's a library? I had bid him a goodbye with a nod and locked the door behind me.

_'What the hell is happening?'_ I slid my back against the door and put my head between my knees.

"Hello." A childish voice my heart jump as I quickly looked up and saw a black cat in front of me.

_'Did it talk?'_ I thought to myself as I cautiously watched it.

"I did." I gasped and backed away as much as I could. The cat sighed in its' little girl voice. It slinked forward and sat at my feet with bored eyes, silver eyes that seemed to pierce through me.

"Don't you remember me? We made a deal." Suddenly an image of that creepy hand went through my mind as I shivered.

_'So you became a cat?'_ The demon cat scoffed and looked away with annoyance.

"It's the most convenient body I could find without being too obvious. No one will question it much if a cat follows you around." I nodded. There was silence until my eyes widened in dread.

_'Is that my voice?'_ I hoped it wasn't, but of course it was. The demon cat told me that he would have preferred his other voice, but he has to use mine for a while.

"Once I get used to this body then I'll make sure to use the other voice. It's not as scary when a cat sounds like a child."

_'It does sound ridiculous.'_ The demon cat quickly turned around and hissed at me.

"Don't push it child!" I nodded and it calmed down. I sat down quietly and watched the black creature. A thought soon came to me.

_'What should I call you?'_ It looked up from the spot it lounged on and flicked its' tail.

"Hell should I know." I scowled, well that was helpful. "I don't really have a name, just make one up. As long as it's not ridiculously stupid then I'm fine with it."

_'How about... Kuro? A dark thing like yourself surely likes that name.'_ I frowned at it. Kuro merely flicked his tail at me as he ignored me.

_'I'm gonna assume that's a yes.'_ I thought as I scooped Kuro up despite his dismay (it's a he, isn't it?) and walked around the house. I easily located my room and a bigger, empty room. It most likely was the room where "my" parents slept. I ignored it and went to my room that didn't seem that childish despite my age, it was most likely designed so that it fit all ages. I changed out of my cloths and into pajamas and dropped Kuro next to me on the bed. I stared at Kuro as he stared at me, I realized everything that happened today was actually real. I gave a quiet sigh as I started to fall asleep.

_'Goodnight, Kuro. I hate you.'_ I closed my eyes and ignored the demon by my side.

"I hate you, too, brat." We both quickly fell asleep with a mutual bond of hate as we ignored each other's presence. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.


End file.
